This invention pertains to a closure for gable-top cartons. More particularly, the invention pertains to a hinged clip-type closure for resealing gable-top packages after initial opening.
Gable-top and brick-type packages have become widely accepted by consumers, packagers and the like for packaging liquid foods, such as milk and juice. To a much lesser extent, these packages are in use for packaging particulate-containing liquid foods and solid foods. However, due to the nature of the arrangement of these packages, vis-a-vis the container opening or spout, their use has been limited with respect to solid foods.
The conventional gable-top package is the standard barer for packaging liquid foods. Closure technology associated with gable-top cartons has shifted toward the use of plastic or like spouts that are fixed to one of the gable panels of the carton. The spouts are typically resealable, such as by a threaded cap or a flip-type snap cap, to help prolong the life of the product after initial opening of the package. These closures impede oxidation of the packaged product in that they are liquid tight, and for the most part, gas impermeable. This has been seen as a quantum improvement over known gable-top package openings in which the sides of the gable are opened to form a spout from the underlying packaged material.
It has, however, been found that in many instances incorporating these spouts into packages is not a cost effective solution for packaging lesser expensive product. It has also been found that in some instances the spouts are not conducive for use with solid or particulate-containing product in that these spouts are not sufficiently large to allow dispensing the solid or particulate-containing product from the package. To this end, although gable-top packages are used for packaging these solid or particulate-containing products, resort is often made to the conventional panel opening gable carton,xe2x80x9cTraditionalxe2x80x9d gable-top package drawbacks still exist, even when used with solid or particulate-containing product. For example, the product can be subject to oxidation (and in the case of packaged product that absorbs moisture, moisture ingress into the package and thus the product), and potentially spillage. While these drawbacks can discourage use of this type of package for these products, this package arrangement is nevertheless in use in that readily dispensing product from the package is of utmost importance.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a closure for a gable-top carton that provides a resealable, wide dispensing opening for the carton. Desirably, such a closure permits use of the dispensing opening that is formed by the gable panels of the package. Most desirably, such a closure provides spill proof, relatively liquid and gas impermeable resealing of the package after initial opening. Also most desirably, such a closure is a low cost component readily usable with standard gable-top cartons.
A closure for use with a gable top carton provides a resealable, wide dispensing opening for the carton by using the dispensing opening that is formed by the gable panels of the package. The closure provides spill proof, relatively liquid and gas impermeable resealing of the package after initial opening.
The closure is configured for use on a gable-top cartons having a plurality of side walls, a sealed bottom wall and a plurality of top walls including a pair of gable panels terminating at an upstanding fin panel. The fin panel has separable portions that are separable, in part, to form a dispensing opening. The separable portions are reopenable and resealable to open and close the dispensing opening.
The closure includes a pair of side walls each defining a free end and being connected to one another at an opposing end by a bridge wall. The closure is pivotally mountable to the upstanding fin and extends along at least a portion of the fin panel.
The closure is pivotal between a closed position wherein the side walls are urged over the fin panel to engage and compress the separable portions of the fin panel when the dispensing opening is closed, and an open position wherein the side walls are pivoted away from the fin panel to disengage the separable portions of the fin panel to open the dispensing opening.
In a current embodiment, the closure is permanently mounted to the carton fin panel. Alternately, the closure can be configured as an xe2x80x9cafter-marketxe2x80x9d item, in which it include a base portion and a pivotal portion pivotally mounted to the base portion. The base portion is configured for stationary receipt on the fin panel, spaced from the fin panel separable potions and the pivotal pivots from the base portion between the open and closed positions.
The closure defines a throat area for receiving the fin panel. A widened entry region can be formed adjacent the throat area. The side walls can be inwardly tapered from the bridge wall to the side wall free ends.
The closure defines a sealing region and a hinge region. A pivot is disposed at the hinge region for pivotally moving the closure between the open position and the closed position. The carton includes an opening formed in the fin panel, and the pivot is configured for receipt in the fin panel opening.
The pivot can be formed as a projection extending inwardly from an inner surface of one of the side walls. An opening can be formed in the other of the side walls in a projecting manner to the projection to facilitate forming (e.g., molding) a the projection integral with the side wall from which it extends. The projection can be formed having an angled end distal from the side wall from which the projection extends.
Alternately, the pivot can be formed as a portions of the side wall urged inwardly to define wing-like elements. Preferably, the wing-like elements have arcuate outermost portions to facilitate pivoting the closure between the open and closed positions.
Still alternately, the pivot can be formed as a stub extending outwardly from the side wall from which it is formed. In this configuration, the stub is connected to the side wall by at least one frangible portion. The frangible portions break wherein the stub is urged into the fin panel opening.
To assure that the stub remains in place in the closure, a receiving opening is formed in an opposing, projecting position on the opposite side wall. The receiving opening is configured for receiving the stub when the stub is urged from the side wall into the fin panel opening and the opposing side wall. Preferably, the receiving opening has angled walls for frictionally securing the stub therein.
In one configuration, the bridge wall extends along only the sealing region. This permits 180 degree rotation of the closure between the open and closed positions. The closure can be configured with one or more serrations formed in an inner surface of one or both side walls. The serrations extend inwardly of the side walls for frictionally engaging the fin panel when the closure is in the closed position.
Optionally, the closure includes one or more detents extending inwardly from an inner surface of the side walls near the pivot. The detents are engagable with the fin panel to maintain the closure in the open position.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.